


A Doll's Love

by AuraWhiteFox



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Fluff, Kissing, Love, M/M, Magic, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-03
Updated: 2011-09-03
Packaged: 2017-10-23 09:45:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/248956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuraWhiteFox/pseuds/AuraWhiteFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every night for the past few months Arthur closed the department store that he worked in. On those nights he would talk to the store's mannequin, Eames. When one night he impulsively kisses’s the dummy on the lips he unknowingly set free a trapped soul.<br/>Will Arthur and Eames love for each other be enough to break the curse?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Doll's Love

Arthur stretched his arms out and sighed in relief, another long day at work done.

“I’m going to lock up now Ari!” He called out to his coworker. She nodded gratefully from behind the counter and picked up her bag.

“Alright I’m going to leave you to lock up then.” She said and gave him a smile before walking out of the store.

Arthur sighed but it was fondly. Ariadne hated locking up the store after hours, she said it was too spooky at night  
so Arthur was the one who usually did it. Even though he also thought that the store was creepy at night as well, not that he’d admit that to her.

The department store that Arthur worked in was one of those generic stores that tried to seem high scale but ultimately failed. He’d worked there for two years now and while it wasn’t glamorous and he hadn’t been able to get a promotion in that entire time he didn’t mind so much. Being a department store clerk wasn’t awesome work but it paid his bills.

He walked around the shop, picking up clothing that people had thrown on the ground and fixing the perfume stand.  
Truthfully this was the janitor’s job but since the guy had quiet four months ago and hadn’t been replaced Arthur took it upon himself to make sure the store didn’t look like a pig sty.

Arthur looked at his watch and saw how late it was getting; he had one last thing to do before he locked up for the night and went home.

Walking towards the smaller men’s department he smiled up at one of the mannequins. The store didn’t have many and the ones they did were mostly women but there was three men dummies in the men’s clothing.

This one though, was his favorite.

The dummy was dressed in a god awful mixture of paisley and orange. Not for the first time Arthur cursed at the person who dressed the dummies, obviously the person was color blind or she just didn’t like this dummy since all the others were dressed in more sensible clothing.

“Hello Eames.” Arthur greeted pleasantly as he sat on the small stool below the dummy’s feet. “I hope your day was better than mine was. I got a call from my mother today, her and father are fighting again.” He sighed as he told all his woes to a piece of plastic, maybe Ariadne was right, he needed to get a boyfriend. It’s kind of sad that the closes thing he had to a significant other was a piece of plastic.

“I just don’t know how I can help is all. I mean I love them both but sometimes I wish that they’d just get divorce or something. They’re both miserable and if they truly did care about each other and me they’d just go their separate ways. I mean I already know that they both have lovers and that father’s lover is a man. He just needs to admit that he’s a homosexual and he’d feel so much better. Not that I have room to talk since they still don’t know I’m gay but—  
I’m probably boring you aren’t I?” He asked the dummy, feeling stupid and yet happy at the same time.

“It’s just that you’re the only one I can talk to and I know how stupid that sounds but…” Arthur sighed. “Sometimes I wish that you were a real man, Eames. I want to hear you talk, what’s on your mind and all that. I just wish-”  
Arthur’s voice cracked and he stopped speaking for a moment.

“It’s so stupid, being in love with a piece of plastic that isn’t even alive.” Arthur whispered and wiped away the single tear from his cheek.

For the past four months he’d been having heart to heart with the dummy Eames, it wasn’t every night that he locked up but when he did he made sure to spend at least half an hour letting go of any grief that he’d been having that day. It was kind of like therapy and maybe that’s why he loved the doll, because it didn’t tell him he was being stupid, instead it just stood there silently, smiling a wide grin, eyes blank of thought or life.

Arthur got up to go, he still had a few chores he needed to do at home before he could go to bed.

“Well I better go Eames, thanks again for listening.” He had never felt that it was stupid to thank the mannequin for listening, it would never acknowledge the thanks but Arthur felt better for it.

Arthur made to turn around but movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to snap his head back.

“Hello?” Arthur asked uncertainly, but there was no one there, only racks of clothing and Eames.

“Must have been my imagination, damn I’m jumping at shadows now.” Arthur mumbled to himself, letting out a small shaky laugh.

Arthur looked up at the Eames doll again and he didn’t know what compelled him to walk up to it. It was raised on a platform but Arthur stepped up on it.

“Here let me get that for you.” He whispered and straightened the doll’s shirt collar. Looking into painted green eyes his eyes dropped onto the painted red lips, they must have been painted by an amateur because the lips looked too full to be a man’s. Not to mention that they were a rosy color instead of the usually pale pink.

Arthur leaned forward and placed a small chastised kiss on the plastic panted lips. His face inflamed as he realized that he’d just kissed one of the stores’s clothing dummies. He thanked whatever god that was listening that he was the only one in the store at this point.

“Goodnight Mr. Eames.” Arthur whispered and jumped down from the small platform and walked hastily towards the exit, he already had his bag lying next to the door.

Because he had his back turned and was walking so fast Arthur didn’t see the hand that had been stationary for so long move from its side and lightly touched its pouty lips in wonder.

“…Arthur…”

 

\--

 

“Mr. Trent! What is the meaning of this!?”

Arthur clenched his teeth in anger as his manger stalked over and barked in his face.

“Mr. Unis, what seems to be the problem?” Arthur tried to ask pleasantly but he was pretty sure he failed. Everyone hated the manger of the floor, he was a snotty asshole who liked to pretend that he was of a much higher class then the rest of them.

“You know what my problem is!” The man barked loudly, drawing a small crowd.

“No I’m afraid I don’t.” Arthur said curtly, tired of this game already, he had work to do and he couldn’t afford to lose any time.

“That stupid dummy! What the hell did you do?! I’m told that you were the one who locked up last night correct?” Mr.  
Unis asked but steamrolled him over before Arthur could answer. “Yes you were, so I’ll ask you one last time before I fire you for stupidity. Why.The.Hell.Did.You.Re.Dress.That.Stupid.Dummy.!”

Now Arthur was confused as well as pissed. “Mr. Unis I seriously have no idea what you are talking about, yes I closed up but when I left everything was as it always is. Could you show me what dummy you are talking about? Maybe one of the teens that the store hired played a prank or something earlier this morning.”

Mr. Unis seemed to calm down, as if this idea hadn’t occurred to him. “Right, follow me.”

Arthur rolled his eyes as soon as the man’s back was turned but he still followed after him.

When Mr. Unis lead him towards the men’s department Arthur felt his heart flip in his chest. There were only three dolls in that part of the store, had something happened to Eames? If so he was going to draw blood.

“This!” Mr. Unis pointed at one of the dummies.

Arthur looked up at the Eames doll in shock.

Usually Eames was dressed in some kind of paisley shirt and khaki pants. Arthur had once told him late at night that he’d look delicious in a nice pressed suit with blue silk.

The doll was wearing the before mentioned suit and shirt that Arthur had been talking about. The men’s suits were on the other side of the men’s department and one of the other male dummies wore the suits while Eames usually wore the odd shirt and pants.

Arthur felt his cheeks warm a little, he’d been right; Eames looked a lot hotter, for a dummy of course, in the suit.

“I’m not sure what I can tell you Mr. Unis. I didn’t do this.” Although he wished that he had if he’d known the effect the outfit would have had on him. “I’m sure if I ask around I can find the culprit.” And give him a freaking medal and his first-born.

“Make sure that you do!” Mr. Unis barked and stalked away, more than likely to go prim in his office or something as equally as stupid.

Arthur noticed the rather large crowd now and reassured everyone that everything was alright.

He got some comments about the suit that made him smile; apparently Eames wore it a lot better than the other dummies did. Arthur was sure that they’d have a sale of men’s suits today if nothing else.

Arthur smiled brightly up at Eames and walked away with a whistle. Today was shaping to be a good day after all.

 

\--

 

“Hello Eames.” Arthur called chirpily as he made his way over to the doll. He sat down on his usually seat. “I don’t know who dressed you today and I guess you can’t tell me.” He chuckled. “The manager was pissed off though; I guess the rumors of him being lovers with the dresser lady were true. She must have been pissed that someone else got to touch you.”

Arthur smiled dreamily as he stared at how nicely the suit looked on the mannequin.

“I could kiss whoever it was though; it made my day better that’s for sure.” Arthur admitted shyly.

“I guess you better pucker up for me, darling.” An accented voice purred from above him.

Arthur shouted and jumped back, his back hit the ground and the air from his lungs left him in a sudden rush. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he stared up at the mannequin he’d been talking to, the mannequin that was now talking back to him.

“What the hell?!” Arthur yelled.

The doll- no man, winched in exaggerated pain. “Ouch darling, you’ve got a set of lungs on you.” Eames grinned down at  
Arthur; his teeth were charmingly crooked in his mouth, unlike the straight white teeth of the dummy. His hair was also a slightly different color. Instead of being blonde it was more of a soft brown.

His eyes though, those had stayed the same, bright blue and twinkling.

“Eames?” Arthur asked weakly. It was implausible that this man was Eames but…he was wearing the suit that the doll had been wearing and he was in the spot that Eames had been not a moment ago.

“Yes darling?” The man-Eames purred.

Arthur couldn’t help it; it was too much of a shock for his system to handle, so he fainted.

Eames stared down at the unconscious man in surprise.

“Well that could have gone better.” Eames sighed.

 

\--

 

Arthur woke up gradually, he was lying on something comfortable and he had no desire to wake up. Groaning a little he buried his head deeper into the softness.

His pillow moved up and down, it took Arthur a moment to realize that his pillow was laughing at him.

“Oh darling you really are to adorable for words.”

Arthur shot up and almost collided with the head above him. He stared wide eyed into blue eyes.

“Eames?” Arthur breathed out, because he had to still be dreaming. There was no way that Eames was here, that he was alive and breathing.

“Yes darling it’s really me.” Eames chuckled again and leaned his head forward a little until it lightly touched Arthur’s.

Arthur inhaled sharply, hardly daring to believe that this all could be true, but even if it was a dream he didn’t want to wake up.

Eames laughed again, as if he could hear Arthur’s thoughts.

A flush warmed Arthur’s cheeks and he ducked his head down. Eames’s eyes soften and he touched Arthur’s chin, bring his face back up.

“Don’t hide from me sweetheart. You’ve never hidden from me before and I don’t want you to start now.” Eames spoke  
softly.

“Eames how can this be happening?” Arthur asked pleadingly. “You’re a…a…”

“Mannequin? Dummy? Doll? Piece of handsome plastic?” Eames filled in teasingly. Arthur’s flush deepened but he didn’t try to turn his head down again.

“It’s magic darling.” Eames answered, his eyes shadowing with memoires.

“Magic?” Arthur asked, skeptical but willing to listen.

“Yes I know that you don’t believe in magic darling, it seems that no one believes anymore.” Eames sighed sadly.

“But…” Arthur tried to ask but there was too many questions bouncing inside of him for him to ask a single one.

“It’s complicated darling, let’s just say that I did something I really shouldn’t have and got cursed for it.” Eames answered slightly discomfited at the admittance.

Arthur’s eyebrows furrowed in thought but he didn’t press any further. It looked like the topic was something of a touchy subject with the man.

“Alright but why are you talking to me now? Why not before?” Arthur asked because that’s the question that was really burning on his tongue.

Eames’s grinned and he winked at Arthur. “True Love’s Kiss, my love.”

Arthur sputtered. “Wha-?!”

Eames leaned closer toward Arthur until they were basically sharing breath. “I was waiting until the day that a beautiful, stubborn, wonderful man would talk to me like I was a real person, I was waiting for that man, the way he  
talks, the way he walks around, the way he smiles and his adorable dimples light up his face. I was waiting for you my darling Arthur, my love.”

Arthur trembled and whimpered. His heart swelling inside his chest until he thought that it would burst out of his chest. “Eames…”

Eames leaned forward the rest of the way and kissed him, it was nothing like the small kiss Arthur had given Eames when he had still been plastic. This was passion and fire and desire.

Arthur moaned as his lips parted and Eames’s tongue scrapped against his front teeth before darting inside him mouth, the tongue was playful almost as it mapped out the inside of Arthur’s mouth, licking against the top of his mouth and his teeth before tangling gently with his own tongue.

Arthur pulled back as air became an issue. He moaned and blushed as a string of saliva contacted their mouths for a moment more before it snapped.

He panted and dared to look up at Eames face; he groaned and ducked his head into Eames’s chest. Eames face was the very picture of smug, desire licked up every inch of his face and it shocked Arthur to see that it was there all for him.

“So are you real now?” Arthur asked as he continued to press his embarrassed face into Eames’s muscular chest.

“For the moment I can only stay in my true form at night.” Eames said apologetic.

“What? Why?” Arthur raised his head to look Eames in the eye.

“Because the curse is still in effect.” Eames shrugged. “You’ve only broken half of the curse; there is still another part of it.”

“Tell me.” Arthur demanded because he’d finally gotten his dream man and there was no way he wasn’t keeping him for the rest of his life and if Eames stays plastic when the sun was up it would put a damper on morning sex and taking nice relaxing walks in the park together.

Not to mention that no one else would be able to meet him.

“I can’t.” Eames said and continued before Arthur could talk. “It’s not that I don’t want to darling but I’m physically unable to tell you the next part of the curse. You’re supposed to figure it out yourself.” Eames kissed him, apologetic and needful.

Arthur huffed but nodded his understanding; Eames obviously believed that it would take some time for Arthur to figure it out the other part of the curse. He didn’t know much about magic and even less about curses so he was willing to believe anything at this point. The only thing he knew about the subject was when his grandmother use to read his fairy tales before he went to bed.

Speaking of fairy tales…there was one thing in common about the curses about true love kiss. It was worth a try at any rate.

“Hey Eames?” Arthur asked, his head was pillowed once again on Eames chest. They were both lying down against the store wall, hidden by the racks of clothing. It wasn’t the most comfortable place to rest but Eames made it a lot more comfortable by allowing Arthur to sprawl on top of him.

“Yes darling?”

“I get that you can’t tell me about the curse but let me ask this. Does this curse have any similarities to beauty and the beast?”

Eames snorted, “I can assure you darling that I’m not going to grow horns and a tail but…hmmm I guess there are a few similarities.” Eames hummed thoughtfully.

“Right then,” Arthur sat up, ignoring Eames whine of distress. Arthur knelt in front of Eames and stared at him seriously. Eames straightened up as well, no doubt realizing the seriousness of the situation.

“Eames…I know that we haven’t know each other very long, even though I’ve been talking none stop for four months we can’t know much about each other. I’m not usually one to believe in love at first sight or true love but…” Arthur took a deep breath. “I love you Eames. I love you with all my heart and I would very much like to marry you someday. Not today of course.” Arthur added hastily. “I think we should date for a little while longer before we make that kind of step, maybe move in together before and learn all there is to know about each other, both the good and the bad.” Arthur felt his confidence fade as he continued to ramble. “So…yea. I love you.” He babbled again, panicking a little as Eames sat there quietly. “Say something please.”

“Darling.” The wonder and happiness in that one word set Arthur’s heart at ease. “I love you too.” Eames leaned forward and engulfed Arthur in a bone crushing hug.

“That’s it. That’s the second part, to admit love, wholly and truthfully to each other.” Eames breathed out excitedly.  
He began to glow faintly and Arthur watched memorized as the glow brightened for a moment and then faded completely.

“It’s gone then?” He asked, unsure.

“Yes!” Eames grinned widely and began to pepper small kisses all over Arthur’s face, causing him to giggle at the tickling sensation.

Arthur smiled at Eames, happy for the mannequin- no- man’s good fortune. He didn’t know how long Eames had been under that curse but it had to have been a while. He knew for sure that this department store had been open for 15 years and that most of the display cases had come from an even older store.

Eames leaned down to kiss his lips again, nibbling on Arthur’s bottom lips playfully. Desire burned in both of their bellies. The need to press their bodies together, preferably naked, was almost too much for them to bear.

“Will you come home with me Mr. Eames?” Arthur kissed back, all fire and passion.

“I thought you’d never ask darling.” Eames winked at him and got up gracefully to his feet. As Eames reached out a hand to assist him, he couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of how angry the manager would be in the morning when he saw that one of the dummies was missing.

Oh well, Arthur thought. He’d just have to get another job, since he had all he needed now that Eames was coming home with him…to stay.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was suppose to be loads longer but I liked how it turned out, short but sweet. :D
> 
> Hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Arthur's just couldn't wait to confess his love for Eames, ah well, true love and all that. ^_^'
> 
> Please comment and tell me what you think!


End file.
